The challenge was brought by a neighborhood group called the Royal Mint Court Residents' Association (RMCRA), which represents families and businesses in roughly 100 properties around the planned embassy site. The RMCRA argued the presence of the embassy could increase the risk of terrorist attacks, lead to the targeting of dissidents and be used to enforce "draconian" Chinese laws in the UK.
The association also claimed that the embassy could pose a fire risk, arguing that Chinese authorities might ignore safety obligations that would be difficult to enforce because of diplomatic immunity on the embassy site. On that basis, the group argued the development should not have been approved by the UK government as well as the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.